Wheel-hub.



1 H. GRESSOM. WHEEL HUB.

APPLICATION NLE-D APRA?. 1ste.

rammed M ayzz, 1917.

V:um/ins HENnY'GnEssoM, or4 HUDSON. WISCONSIN.

WHEEL-RUBI Application inea Aprii 27', 1916. vserial 110.93392.

Tall/whom t may concern."

Be it known that I. JAMES HENRY GRES- soM, a vcitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hudson, in the county'of St. Croix and 5 State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Ain Wheel-Hubs; fand I do hereby declare the' following togbe a full, clear, vand'exact descriptiionof--the invention, such-as will enable`V othersskilled'in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. j

My invention rela-tes yto new and useful improvements in wheel `hubsvand'my object isto provide 'a hub which is constructed entirely ofmetal. A further object` is to provide sockets for' the reception of theends of spokes and arrange means in said sockets for `securely lockingthe spokes within the sockets. l

A. further object is to so arrange the spokes as to compensate forstrain upon parts of thewheel attached to the hub.

Afurther object is to provide oil chambers within the hub and so arrangethesame` that the lubricant will be gradually fed on to the spindle onlwhich the hub is mounted. And a further object is to `provide means forpreventing dirt, grit, 4 and thelike from entering the hub at the endsthereof.

hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in theaccompanying specification.

In vthe accompanying drawing,

The ligure is acentral longitudinal sectional view through a hub andsupporting spindle therefor. l .Y

Referring to the drawing' l indicates an axle which may be constructedof wood, or

I40 other suitable material, `to which isattached my improved form ofspindle or skein 2,"

said spindle being hollow and having a partition 3 which abuts againstthe end of the axle 1 and is secured to the axle in any preferred manneras by introducing a wood screw 4 through the partition and into the Vendof the axle, or any other suitable securing means may be employedas'deemed most expedient..

Y The spindle 2 at its union with the sleeve portion 5 is provided witha radial shoulder 6, on the outer face of which is formed a peripheralflange 7 said flange being liared outwardly from its integral end so asto rest at an angle to the face .of the shoulderl y6, said flange beingadapted to enter a groove Specification of Letters Patent.

Other objects andV advantages `will bel Patepteainayaa; 1917.

8 in the inner fendofiny iniproyedform of hub structure 9. Y

The hub 9 is preferably lconstructed of metal and provided with cavities10 between the lout-er shell of the hub andthe boxing portion-11 thereofinto which' cavities vis to be introduced i. any suitable form `oflubricant, said lubricant-'being vintroduced into the cavities throughopenings l2 which are normally closed by means of plugs 13 which Y larethreaded into' theopenings. f

Extending radially around the Vhub and preferably fat itsl'ongitudinalcenter 'are a pluralityof socketsliL into. which are to be introduced;.spokes 15, preferably of wood, said socketsbeing preferably instaggered relationv one withthe other and so arranged that one half of'the spokes -will 'extend at right angles to the axial center of the hubwhileY the other half of the'spokes will extend `:at 4a slight angle tothe axial ycenter of the hub, said spokes being arrangedV altermatelyyand by extending each alternate spoke at -a slight inward angle, thewheel structure will be fully braced against lateral strain `and thewheel held againstundue di-shing.

lt .will be understood `of course that the spokes `may be oppositelyinclined from their connection with .the hub to-their outer ends as theoccasionyinay require but as before stated one set of spokespreferablyextend ina'straightline from their inner to their outer ends,while the remainder are at an angl-e. j l

VIn order to securely lock the ends of theV spokes wit-hinthe .sockets1l, each socket is provided with an extension 1-6 at the edge thereofadapted tok receive the greatest amount-of strain, said extensionentering a seatr17, the wall 18 of which is ared or inclined leaving theinner rend vof the seat of greater dimensions than the outer endthereof, the base of the seat having a wedge 19V extending upwardlytherefrom, the face thereof adjacent the inclined wall 18 being likewisetapered, thel pointed end of the wedge causing the extension'l to split,and in view of the taper of the wedge the split portion of the extensionengaging said face will be forced into engagement with the inclined wall18, thereby firmly wedging that portion of the extension between saidinclined wall and the tapered face of the wedge and securely locking theVspoke against endwise movement. v Y

The spindle proper terminates a distance from the outer end of the huband the extreme outer end is provided with a reduced portion 20, theexterior face of which is provided with threads 21 which are adapted tobe engaged with threads 22 interiorly of a nut 23, said nut when screwedon to the reduced portion 20 supplying the bearing surface for theboxing removed from the spindle by reducing the end portion thereof.

The outer end of the nut is provided with a radial head 24 which fitsagainst a shoulder 25, of a cavity 26 in the outer end of the hub, saidshoulder having a groove 27 in the face thereof with which engages aflange 28 on the inner face of the radial head 24, said flange beingflared outwardly from its connection with the head to its outer edge andwhen seated in the groove prevents dirt, grit, and the like entering thehub at this point.

The integral bands 29 and 30 at the inner and outer ends of the hub,project a distance beyond the shoulder 6 and the radial head 24 of thenut, when the hub is'properly mounted upon the spindle, so that anywater or dirtl deposited upon the hub will pass off of the hub at pointsbeyond the shoulder and head respectively.

The lubricant from the cavities 10 is gradually fed on to the sprindle 2by providing ports 31 adjacent the boxing 11, which ports communicatewith a sub chamber 32, said sub chamber having an opening 33communicating with the interior of the boxing 11, said opening beingformed through the wall of the boxing, and it will be readily seen thatas the Wheel rotates the lubricant will flow through the ports into lthesub chambers and thence through the openings 33 on to the spindle, andas the lubricant is fed slowly into the sub chambers, the wheel may beused for an indeiinite period without renewing the supply of lubricant.The walls 34 and 35 forming the sub chambers 32 also form rests for theinner ends of spokes and the inner walls of the seats 17 respectively.

By locking the extensions at the inner ends of the spokes into the seatsin the manner shown, said spokes will be securely held in engagementwith the hub.

It will likewise be seen that by providing the anges and grooves at theends of the hub, foreign particles will be excluded from the hub and theleakage of the lubricant from the hub prevented.

It will likewise be seen that by providing the cavities in the hub forforming lubricant chambers thatl after said chambers are once filledwith the 1ubricant,the wheel may be used for a long period of timewithout requiring additional lubricant to be placed in the cavities, andfurthermore that it does not require the removalof the wheel from thespindle to place lubricant thereon as is necessary when the ordinaryform of wheel is used. l

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secureA by Letters Patent of the United States,'is:-'

boxing disposed through said shell and provided circumferentially andintermediate its ends with a series of oil outlet openings, the

space between said outer shell and boxing serving as an oil well, aseries of spoke sockets arranged circumferentially and' intermediate theends of the outer shell, said spoke sockets extending radially inwardlyinto engagement with the boxing, each of said spoke sockets formed withan oil chamber in its inner end which registers with one of said boxingoutlet openings, said oil chambers being each provided with an inletopening whereby oil can' feed from the oil well through the boxing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

GEO. TURNER, Y ELMER WALES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. f f

SLO

In a self lubricating hub, an outer shell7 a ti.,

